Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Last week, OI (the region’s only Google Engage partner) attended the first official Google+ Hangout session hosted by Google Australia. The trends that we have have noticed, primarily the uptake of mobile content have been confirmed by data they have been collecting. Google’s data indicates close to 1 in 4 search queries are from mobile devices, almost double what it was last year.

For some time now, OI has recognised and anticipated that mobile internet usage would be the highest area of growth and have begun developing websites that automatically adjust their layout based on screen resolution, rather than device. This solution represents a more cost effective and future proof option compared to designing versions of an existing website to cater for specific products. Here is a selection of our recent work: Invest Central Coast (an initiative of the Regional Development Australia),Search 4 Hurt, and Bounce Performing Arts. Try browsing these sites on your PC and your mobile.

This leads us to the next most important statistic Google has shared with us. Landing page usability on mobile devices correlates directly with AdWords campaign conversions rates. Figures suggest that a higher percentage of visitors on mobile phones are in “buying mode”, but a landing page that is not usable deters people from continuing. Is your website mobile-enabled?

Talk to us about attending a power briefing in 2012 starting from February, contact sales@organise.net.au to subscribe.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

If your social media relationships are overwhelming you perhaps it's time to seriously consider taking part in the "De-Friend" campaign. Join the movement that plans to establish a National Defriend Week. The first "De-Friend" week was November 2011, with a future view to establishing a more widespread campaign in 2012.

The average social media user has about 120 relationships, many "heavy users" have 400 or more and hard core addicts have THOUSANDS!!! A spring clean of our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn relationships could just be just what the doctor ordered!

Friday, September 2, 2011

Our principal consultant, David Abrahams (a.k.a. digitdave) was invited to attend the Telework Forum in Sydney recently. The discussions opened his eyes to how beneficial the high-speed broadband (NBN), could be to many Australians. "The technical and cultural shift in how we work is one of those classic examples of how thousands of businesses doing seemingly small things add up to a huge difference for the country".

Dave cites how a couple of his employees already telework and explains how why he thinks it is a way of keeping "valued staff even if their circumstances change". Unfortunately his staff members belong only to a small percentage (6%) of lucky Australians that actually telework. Research suggests that some people are commuting up to 6 hours daily and there will be a strong desire to reduce the amount of physical commuting. He suspects that research currently being run by the University of Newcastle will confirm his opinion.
The Minister for Broadband, Communications and Digital Economy Stephen Conroy was also present at the forum and said that Australia is quite down in the ranks of teleworking nations. About 10% of US employees telework at least once a month, and more in parts of Europe. In Norway, which in many ways is similar to Australia in economic and social terms, it is close to 20 per cent. They obviously realised years ago that small benefits for individuals can mean big benefits for the nation.

According to Access Economics, if just 10% of Australia's workforce teleworked 50% of the time, Australia would collectively save about 120 million litres of petrol, reduce traffic by 5%, delivering an overall saving of $470 million and 320,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Annual productivity gains of more than $1.4 billion could have been realised.

High speed broadband will change the way we work and here are some tips:

Monday, August 29, 2011

Online marketers, primarily those that breathe and live Google woke up to a small surprise in the form of a video released by the search engine giant. The video did not reveal how Google actually ranks websites as many news publications out there might be eluding to. It does however confirm how frequently Google updates it's search algorithm and the procedures they take before releasing these updates to the public.

Amit Singhal confirmed that "just last year, we launched over 500 changes to our algorithm. So by some count we change our algorithm almost every day, almost twice over". Scott Huffman, Google Engineering Director, continues by stating that they "analyse each potential change very deeply to try to make sure that it's the right thing for users". He adds, "In 2010, we ran over 20,000 different experiments. All the data from the human evaluation and the live experiment are then rolled out by a search analyst".

This video discusses how Google identifies, tests, and implements tweaks to their algorithm in their quest to server it's users with the best content that they are searching for. As an example, the video then looks at the reasoning and test procedures that affected the "did you mean" and "showing results for" change earlier this year.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Strangely, a hard question to answer specifically, as these things are shrouded in commercial mystery. However I think we can safely answer "a great deal" as there are global statistics that point to over 3 billion searches per day! Last year(1)
Almost all of these searches are accompanied by a series of paid advertisements, aka AdWords. These are the online advertisements we see wrapped on the top and right hand side of each Google search. However did you know AdWords are everywhere online. Keep your eyes open and you'll see them on third party websites, inside emails on maps and mobile phones and even on YouTube videos.
Though there are only a small amount of businesses that are represented in AdWords listings In Australia only about 1% of businesses use Adwords campaigns. Most of these are big businesses and interestingly businesses mostly based outside of Australia. See the image below, no local results for a very popular search term.

We at OI often wonder why so many businesses don't see the opportunities to advertise in the Adwords platform space. The statistics are clear; people are spending more and more time online every month, they are searching for products and services more and more. They are reading newspapers and watching broadcast TV less and less. Yet advertisers are failing to see the opportunities online. The Australian Financial Review this week put a focus on these AdWords in an article 'Click here for top dollar'.Are Aussie businesses technology averse? We don't think so.

We think that most Aussie businesses are simply unconvinced that these AdWords and related DisplayAds are working alternatives to print media. We also think that setting up an Adwords campaign is actually quiet complex and very time consuming for what they may or may not receive. Fair cop we reckon.

Remember AdWords are a so called PPC or Pay Per Click system, where the customer agrees on a click maximum limit (say 10 cents) and a per month maximum PPC spend. Inside these constraints you compete in an automated auction with other advertisers in your chosen location and industry sector for AdWords placements.
There are a host of other options that in theory let you target age groups, gender, income levels and even street level focusing. There are also options that include inclusion on maps, email, YouTube channels and third party websites, such as industry or popular news websites.
Coming up with the 'creative' text is also an art, as well worded ads attract many more clicks than poorly worded ones.

OI has been working on this for some time and has recently just been accepted as a Google Engage Partner, something that helps educate us on the ins and outs of advertising in the online space. We recently attended the inaugural partner event at Google Australia HQ. I'm pleased to say there was very little sales pitch and a lot of education and learning around the products and services. Something that we can now pass onto our clients and partners. Expect to see a heap more targeted advertising in the AdWords space very soon.

Yours in AdWordising

The OI Team

References1. These are comscore worldwide estimates in 2010 source: SearchEngineLand

Friday, June 17, 2011

As the online platform surges forward, more of us are using videos to research products, services and information.... it's refreshing to hear of an initiative that leans on low-tech simplicity to bring a whole new marketing tool for those searching for a fresh online 'edge'.

Enter Pixel Maché, brainchild of multi-award winning portable filmmaker Jason van Genderen (Treehouse Creative) and gadget guru Dave Abarahams (Organise Internet). At face value, Pixel Maché provides businesses with a low-cost, customised online TV channel that's easy to use, encourages user-generated content and provides brands with a completely new way to present their message to a new video-centric audience. "It's brutally simple yet an incredibly powerful offering all rolled into one", says Dave "considering the recent explosion of online video media, many businesses are realising the need to have a presence there but either have no time, no resources, or no understanding of how to monetize it. Pixel Maché is a turn-key broadcasting solution for businesses on the front foot."

The distinctly unique offering goes beyond the platform itself. For less than $5,000, businesses can have their own online broadcasting platform created, including registration of their TV domain name, design of a custom channel space, portable HD video camera kit, full training, custom YouTube host channel, content management system, and targeted SEO marketing. More importantly, this allows businesses access to a globally recognised multi-award winning expert in mobile film-making (Jason). Imagine having a Tropfest winning director guiding your team and sharing his secrets and tips on creating concise, simple webisodes that sell your products or service.

"I've seen inferior systems sell for more than $22,000, without the in-depth training we offer. Pixel Maché represents a whole new democracy in this space; at a price that's within reach for even the smallest of businesses." added Jason "We can show any business how they can embrace the online medium to help spread their commercial message into a whole new space". Dave adds "and remember that YouTube is a search engine affirming technology, something that boosts your online presence massively."

Several Pixel Maché early adopters include Apex Insurance Brokers, along with Cherry Road Nursery. Darren Hutton, managing director of Apex Insurance is excited about using this new channel to both educate and market their services to a broader audience.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Having just gone through a bruising series of quotes with a large customer and losing the bid I'm feeling a little dark. Not at the company that picked up the contract, good luck to them and good luck our (until recently) 'customer'. But I've heard on the grape vine that they've gone down the "free software" route. Something that as an online professional I find both amazing but also quite worrying.

Has the whole online world gone DIY? Well perhaps. You can get most things for free: Free email accounts, free websites, free social media apps, free document storage systems, free calendars, free advertising and even free sexual prowess, apparently. Wasn't it The Beatles that sang "Money can't buy you love" so presumably that's free too.

So I find myself wondering if I should pack it all in and head for the hills and grow bananas. I can at least sell them at our local markets for a pretty penny at the moment.

Then I remembered something that happened to a friend of mine recently. His identity was stolen. First his eBay user name then progressing to his PayPal account, which lead to further to freeze his real bank account, his telephone account and regular bill draws, not to mention his email and Facebook account. Ouch. Ouch Ouch. I remember at the time deeply sympathising with him as he rang endless corporations that sadly by default did not believe he was himself. It just goes to prove the adage "If you don't pay for the product, you are the product".

I reckon "free" is good if it's about beer or chocolate but I think that "free" is bad when it comes to building trustworthy communications systems and relationships. "Free" software systems are in other words also free from responsibility, security and reliability.

After that little thought bubble I'm feeling better. Free beer to all of my friends.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Just recently I was called into an unusual meeting with a large client. I'd known this particular manager for some time and we've talked loosely about the opportunities that digital media present to get both engage with people and drive productivity gains. Though as we talked I become aware that he had managed to convince his ageing bosses that this digital evolution thing was worth focusing on. Though who can blame the older generation of senior managers. Innovation in the online world has been exhausting over the last two decades,

An incredible set of innovations have washed over us in the last 20 years; Email, The Web, Mobile Phones, eCommerce, Social Media all have spawned industries, companies and opportunities that were not even conceptualised in the world we occupied previously.

Take a quick look at the current waves hitting the beach; YouTube, FaceBook, Twitter & Mobile Apps. All have some surprising similar traits. They offer innovative groups of people a platform for real and lasting change if they can adopt them for their own purposes.

This post was originally modified from the Regional National Broadband blog with thanks.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

The world of being found is changing quickly. For years now the phone books were a 'must' for businesses of all types, now we're all moving online at an astonishing rate. According to Nielsen, 80.1% of Australia’s population were online in 2010 (= 17.03 million people). A recent Sensis report claimed that 90% of Australian internet users used the internet to look for information on products or services.

Taking into consideration Google’s 94% market share in Australia, we can deduce that 14.41 million Australians have used Google in 2010. That’s almost 68% of the entire Australian population. No other site has this kind of penetration! This represents a rapid growth over the last three years. In fact the latest trend points to a huge increase in using mobile phones for searching for businesses and services, an area Google very keen to expand quickly, and for good reason. A recently published statistics indicate that 41% of all mobile phone users in Australia access the web, with searching for products and services listed as the 4th most popular activity at 56% which represents a 15% increase over the previous year.Organise Internet has been in THE SEARCH BUSINESS for many years and our accumulated experience is reflected in our mature and practical approach to online developments. Our deep knowledge of other Google products and services really helps navigate this relatively new area of business marketing. So if you're looking at getting found by the people who want to find you, talk to us. We're not script kiddies or back room operators, we know a lot about search and we're happy to help you get the results you're looking for.

Email David or Danis or call us on (02) 4340 5706 and book a low cost briefing session. We're bound to surprise you about the possibilities for those that adopt a flexible mature approach.

Monday, April 18, 2011

It has been estimated that 30 billion pieces of content i.e. links, stories, blogs, pictures, etc. are shared on Facebook each and every month. Getting noticed is becoming ever more difficult as more marketers converge on this platform.
If you are involved with managing a Facebook page/presence, you will undoubtedly have asked yourself questions such as:

When’s the best time to post?

How often should I post?

When are people engaging with our content?

A recent study conducted by Buddy Media (a Facebook marketing software company) has answered many of these questions by analysing a sample size of 200 clients for a two week period earlier this year. Below is a summary of their findings that we thought many of you might be interested in.

Post Length

URL Shorteners

Asking your followers to click a shortened link (tinyURL, etc.) is a question of trust. By using a full-length URL, you are essentially tripling your engagement rate. If you must use URL shorteners, utilise brand-specific shorteners, e.g. http://org.int/234c.

Best Time to Post

It’s estimated that 60% of posts are published during office hours. Brands that post outside of these times usually enjoy a 20% higher engagement rate. This emphasises the idea that most people check their feeds outside of office hours, hence it represents the best time of engagement (early morning or late at night).

Best Day to Post

Buddy Media’s research indicates that engagement rates on Thursday and Friday are 18% higher than on other days of the week.

Fans Follow Instructions Well

The fundamental rule is to keep requests simple. Outright requests to “like”, “post”, “comment”, or “tell” you something will typically generate a response.

“Softer Sell” Keywords Work Best

If running a contest, sweepstakes, or promotion, the use of “softer sell” keywords such as “winner”, “win”, “event”, and “offer” will resonate better with your fans. Generating excitement rather than selling directly is more effective and increases your engagement rate.

Ask Questions at the End of Posts

The aim of a question is to invoke a response. Placing your question at the end of a post yields a 15% higher engagement rate than posts where question placement is near the beginning or middle of the post.

Final Thoughts

Many companies and businesses are now looking to Facebook to engage with their customers/clients. With the amount of posts generated each day, it’s very easy to be overlooked by your target audience. A well thought out marketing plan is only as good as its execution. We hope the above summary was helpful in maximising the returns of your efforts.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Our New Year’s Strategy : Partnerships

As part of a strategic move, OI has now cemented two vital partnerships.

Consider us a one-stop-shop for all your online needs.

Organise Internet has always acknowledged that it cannot be great at everything, hence we have engaged and worked with several design and technology partners to provide our clients access to the best in the business without the need to engage multiple providers. Our core business has been and will continue to be online development and search and business processes.

As part of a strategic move, OI has now cemented two vital partnerships with Treehouse Creative and vTeam Social Media. This move brings web development, design, SEO, social media, e-marketing, and print marketing all under one roof... literally, at West Gosford! After a short period of time, this partnership has proved itself fruitful.

Partner Profile

Creative, mature, talented, passionate, and professional are just some of the words that have been used to describe our partners.

Treehouse Creative - More than just a design studio, the team at Treehouse has proven time and time again why they’re industry leaders. They are very creative, talented and passionate professionals with a wealth of industry background who are renowned for their left-of-field solutions. If you’re looking for great designs, marketing ideas, and novel approaches to stand out from the crowd, chances are you’ll be blown away by their work.

vTeam Social Media - vTeam has developed a solution for people to collaborate online without the risks usually associated with traditional social networks; imagine a managed private version of Facebook! Organisations that have benefited from this solution include the sporting icons, like the Sydney Kings, Central Coast Mariners, as well as schools, community services, travel groups and emergency services. It is a very secure system that creates online communities which foster communication and collaborative teams, delivered in “the cloud”...

So what’s the big deal?

Fewer overheads, less communication, less stress, less management, and improved ROI.

OI is now in a much better position to offer our clients a wider range of quality products and services which typically could not be found under the same roof. Imagine the added value you can achieve by dealing with a single company to get multiple jobs done. Fewer overheads, less communication, less stress, less management, and improved ROI are just some of the potential benefits of engaging us, apart from quality service. Consider us a one-stop-shop for all your online needs.
We think the combined wealth of knowledge and experience will differentiate us from other organisations and will allow us to provide solutions that are second to none. Speak to us today about anything related to the online space, social media, search and marketing. That’s all the buzz words in one space. So if you’ve got a project idea buzzing around in your head, come and talk to us.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Organise Internet's Three Step Guide

Get found on search engines - get where we all search for products and services!

Create or improve your online sales channel - Make it easy and make it a habit.

Story of Disorganisation?

The big domestic retail companies are on the offensive and trying to lobby the government to effectively restrict offshore sourced online sales. While this appears logical, we think it’s like swimming against the tide.

Gerry Harvey is a great Australian businessman and philanthropist but sadly he typifies much of the national business attitude to doing business online: “It’s a fad that people will get over”. Well, hello guys the train has come and is leaving the platform. You need to jump on board.

Australian retailers still only sell about 2% of their goods online, this is surprisingly low when you consider that Australian consumers are some of the fastest adopters of technology in the world. Weird when you think most people still are forced to buy electronic equipment in a big retail store that are in turn paying dearly for floor space, their aisle walking staff and such abominations as letterbox advertising. A wonderful paradox don’t you think.

Banks as an Example?

There are of course exceptions to national online business successes. Take our banks for example. There’s no hiding the fact that ‘our’ banks deliver a huge amount of their service online, which is heavily used by most citizens. This is helping financial institutions deliver huge savings and dare I say much extra income to their share holders et.al.

So take a leaf out of our banking sector’s business manual, invest online. Now you may not have budgets like a bank, but you can do something progressive. Use our three point guide to help you. You may not have a budget for this or have other plans or providers, though you should know that we at Organise are here to help when you’re ready.

Get Organised

Organise Internet is one of those rare mid-tier online development companies that deliver high quality online products and services with a great success rate. Our staff are full-timers, they know their stuff, they work well as a team, they’re a mix of older hands and young guns.
We are NOT web designers, we leave that to our excellent graphic partners, we ARE however top notch advisers, programmers, constructors and testers of the online world.
So this year move ahead, work with us in making your online presence profitable, professional and visible. If you wish to make us part of your business progress this year please contact us. You can send us an email, or call us on 1300 30 17 18.

Here again is the Organise Internet three step new year’s resolution guide.

Create good online content - interesting and engaging information!

Get found in search engines - go to where we all search for products and services!

Create or improve your online sales channel - Make it easy and make it a habit.